Improvement in valves foe



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1868. G. L. ENGGREN.

VALVE FOR STEAM ENGINES.

-- IHN valve-gear or arrangement applied' thereto.

glatten ta'trs llattnt @titre- Letters ,Patent No. 78,518, 'dated June Q, 1868; miledafcll lLig/ 2T, ISGS.

- IMPROVEMENT IN VALVES FOR ,STEAM-ENGINES.

ifvlge Stigtttle rtfrmh tu in tlgtse inlets `aicnt-znn.uniting nrt at tigt sante.

To ALL wHoM 1T MAY coser-mvpv Be it known that I, GUsrAv L. ENGGREN, of' Brooklyn in `the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Operating Valves for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompany-ing drawing, forming part of this y specification, and which represents an engine-cylinder and piston, as horizontally arranged, with my-improved This, my improvement, has reference to that d cscriptioniof valves orv valve-gear which employs a subsidiary valve or piston forthrowing the main val-ve by the spent steam of thc main or engine-cylinder in its passage to the exhaust; and my invention consists, as controlled hy the subsidiaryvalve or piston, in a novel arrangement of exhaust-passagearound or connected with the cylinder of said piston, and in communication with the engineports 'at opposite ends of theA main cylinder; also. in combination with the subsidiary valve or piston, of an independent valve or slide, carried b y the same, for determining, in an automatic manner, by the movement of said-piston, the cushioning eiiect at the close of the stroke or throw of the latter in both directions of its travel'. Likewise, the invention consists in a combination, with the foregoing or their equivalents, of oscillating, cylindricah'or conical valves, controlling the engine-ports, and in constant or positive gear with the stem o'ty the subsidiary valve. v

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A'represents the engine-cylinder, B its piston, and C the rod of the' latter, and which may be connected with a pump or other device or mechanism requiring to be driven, said rod also serving, afterthe engine has commenced to runto automatically start, alternately in opposite directions, a subsidiary valve or piston, D, through, say, an arm, E,acting against stops a a', formedby projections on the stemloi rod F of the p'iston D. This piston D reciprocates, in an intermittent manner, within 'a cylinder, G,

that is provided, iutermediately, or. midway of its length, with an annular passage, H, that connects with the I general exhaust or outlet I,Asaid cylinder G communicating, at or near its ends, through passages b b', with the general exhaust or outlet I, said cylinder Gr communicating, at or nearits ends, through passages b b', with the engine-ports c c', by-or through the intervention of internaittently-oscillating, cylindrical, or conical valves JJ', having cavities, de, d' e, the one ofv which sets of cavities, d d', serves to open connection, alternately at oppositeends, with the steam-inlet pipes or openings K K', while the otherset of cavities, ce', establishes communii cation alternately .with the exhaust. These valves J J work in cylinders or chambers L L', and are geared or .connected outside with the stem or rod F, through rack-formationsff" and toothed sectors g g', attached to the shafts of the valves J J. Hero, however, it may he observed that other methods of gearing the valves J J" with-the rod I muy 'be-adopted, as, also, other forms ot'valves J J be substituted.; but the form or arrangement l shown anddescribed is preferred..`

The piston-valve D is, shown as provided with a passage, h, through it, communicating, as, say, at o, with I the annular or other suitably-shaped and arranged exhaust-passage ll, and controlled by an independent valve, v which may be formed ot" a frcs or loose slide, L, having an aperture, 1t, through it, and whichis carried by thc,- piston-valvo-D.A

In the operation, supposing thc engine-piston B to be moying in direction-of the arrow rc, the arm E acts 'upon' the stop. ,as said piston approaches the completion of its stroke, to start the'pistomvalve D, and,'at the, same time, the vulves J J', till the position of the latter is changed, so as to slightly opcnvtheexhaust-cavity e of the valve J to the port c', when the spent steam from the engine-cylinder, rushing along-,the passage b', acts upon the piston D, to continuo its motion' to` thc left, and suddenly shoot it so as to uncoverthe passage H on the side b of the cylinder G, andthus establish connection of the passage b with the exhaust-outletl, and, at I the same time, throwing the valve J, to put its cavity d in communicati n with the port c and steam-inlet K, to reverse the action of the 'engine-piston, which, as it approaches tbe-completion of its stroke to the right, -oper- Aatcs, through the armE'nnd stop a', in a similar manner, hut in a reverse direction, ontlie several valves,V to start th`cmand admit oi' their further action, but in a reverse direction, as described, to again change the motion v of the engine, ljy opening the port c and passage b to the exhaust, and port c to the steam-inlet K.

In this action of the pistou-valve D, alternately uncovering' the passage H, to establish connection with the exhausboutlet Iron opposite ends of theengine-cylinder,'the valve or slide L, carried by the piston D, performs an important part. Thus, prior to the movement of the piston D inl either direction, and in the early portion of such' stroke, the slide L has its passage 'n open to the passage h, so as to establish communication between the cylinder G and exhaust-passage H, through the aperture s on the forward-according to its directionof 'travel-side of the piston D, and after the piston has closed the passage H on said side or end 'of the cylinder fG. This gives a free action tothe piston .D iu the early portion of its stroke, a ready escape being established through the valve L, fol` vapor or air, into the general exhaust, and thus any countcracting eieet, lay-compression on the piston-valve D, is avoided; but, as .said piston approaches tho end of 'its stroke by the force of the spent steam on its back side, thoslide L strikes the'end of the cylinder G, so as to close the passage Iron' the forward side of the piston D, which establishes a cushion, by compression of air or vapor in the cylinder G, in front of said piston, to check audbrng-ia'in an easy manner, to a state of rest, or produce va balance, las it were, vat the close of the stroke, a balance also being established prior` to its movement by the spent steam.v Furthermore, as the slide -L thus closes the passage la, on the one side oi? the piston D, it, bythe continued motion of tho piston, is forced suiuciently through the latter to open,:by its aperture n, the passage h, on the opposite'side of the piston D, to perform the same duty or 4duties, and, in like' manner, on the reverse side of said piston, when the action of it is changed by the motion-of thc engine, the slide L, by striking either end of the cylinder G alternately, through the motion of -the piston D, operating, in an automatic manner,`to secure a timely cushioning' e'ect to or on Vthe valve-piston D,`as necessary, to prevent shock, and render smooth and easy the-action yof such valve-gear or arrangement. 'l

What is`hero claimed, and desired to be secured by LcttersPutent, 'is-n l l.. The combination,- vrith the valve .or piston D, having ay passage, h, through it, and aperture a, in com munication with the exhaust-passage H, or itsequivalent, of a valve` or slide, L, constructed and operating, by

' the throw' of said piston, to'eii'ect or regulate the cushioning of the piston at or towards the close ofits stroke,

but allowingof a free escape for vapor or air on the forward side of said piston, in the early portionoi its '.ction,

. in either direction, essentially as herein set'forth.

2. The combination of the piston D with its independent' valve or slide L, operating in connection with exhaust-passages, as described, and valves J J', constructed and arranged for action together, substantially as shown and described..

i' G. L. ENGGREN. Witnesses? v I J. W. Goo'rms, A. Ls Gmane. 

